Numerous human rights organizations worldwide have accused Qatar of leveraging last year's FIFA World Cup to whitewash the conditions akin to modern-day slavery faced by foreign workers in the Gulf state.
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Nine months after Argentina lifted the title, thousands of foreign workers who were involved in construction for the tournament, primarily from India, Kenya and Nepal, have yet to receive pay.
Moreover, hundreds of families of workers who died due to flagrant neglect of safety measures and lack of adequate working conditions have not received any compensation from the tournament's sponsors. Additionally, workers who stayed in Qatar to claim their unpaid wages were denied their passports and continued to face mistreatment.
This information contradicts claims by FIFA and Qatari officials, who asserted that they had put in place a compensation policy, a worker safety plan, and oversight mechanisms to prevent the exploitation of foreign workers.
While allegations of wage theft circulated during the World Cup, they were dismissed by human rights organizations and have now been rendered moot following the tournament's conclusion. This is the true legacy of the 2022 World Cup, not Messi and Mbappé.
Typically, the demand for extensive construction projects in Qatar arises primarily before international events like the World Cup. Reports indicate that Qatari construction firms are withholding foreign workers' passports until more work becomes available. Those who choose to leave Qatar must forfeit their salaries and benefits in order to have their passports returned.
Contrary to promises made by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Qatari Labor Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, no fund has been established to financially support the workers or the families of those who have died. This is despite both FIFA and Qatar profiting substantially at the expense of these foreign workers. The promised fund was supposed to address cases from the past decade and assist those in need.
Dozens of foreign workers in Qatar have sought legal recourse in local labor courts to claim unpaid wages, with some amounts reaching tens of thousands of dollars. While the courts dismissed some cases, those that resulted in favorable rulings took an extended period to disburse payments, leaving the workers financially stranded in Qatar.
Discouraged by these outcomes, other workers chose to stay in Qatar without pay, awaiting future construction projects. Many of these workers have families that rely solely on them for financial support.